


A Song for Christmas Eve

by RedStarlight



Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 11:57:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17141315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedStarlight/pseuds/RedStarlight
Summary: The Doctor and Sarah Jane are about to spend their Christmas holiday together on Florana. While waiting for The TARDIS to be ready for their journey, they're met by a festive choir and The Doctor finds himself moved (although he's loath to admit it...)





	A Song for Christmas Eve

**Author's Note:**

> Just because it's Christmas and I love choral music. A vignette where The Doctor and Sarah Jane get to enjoy a beautiful human song.

It was Christmas Eve and just getting dark when Sarah Jane Smith locked her front door to set out into the winter evening.

She was in full-on holiday mood, having just finished and sent out an article which was bound to grab attention. Everything was done. She could enjoy herself. It was even starting to snow – a rare thing in London. Passers-by who noticed her would have seen a petite woman wrapped up in red, hurrying through the weather. She was clearly going away for Christmas to her friends or family, as she carried a small suitcase in one gloved hand.  
Sarah Jane was going away, but her host was a little more unusual than most people might have imagined. They would also have been surprised to see her destination; instead of turning down the street to the station, she walked to the local park. It was a festive scene, with snow dusting the ground and causing her feet to crunch in the grass. There were small knots of people gathering in the gloom beyond. Strangely, there was also a police box standing near the park entrance, itself decorated with frost. She stopped beside it and knocked on the door.

The box opened, shedding snowflakes and a figure stood at the door. It was a tall and silver haired man in ruffled shirt and velvet jacket with a mildly disgruntled look on his face.

“Hello Doctor.” Sarah Jane smiled at him. “I’m all ready to go, as you can see.”

“So you are, Sarah Jane.” The Doctor said, rearranging his features to approximate a smile. “I’m ashamed to admit though, that the TARDIS and I are not. The old girl seems to be having some recharging issues.”

“Are we stuck, then?” Sarah asked, putting her case down and feeling a little disappointed.

“No, no – merely delayed. It’s just that I had hoped to be off straight away. All the TARDIS coordinates are set for Florana and it would be nice to get a jump on our holiday.”

“How much of a delay?”

“Perhaps a couple of hours.”

Sarah grinned, relieved. “Oh well – if that’s all, I think we can cope. It’s not as if the TARDIS is going to get caught up in traffic with the Christmas shoppers.”

The Doctor smiled, more relaxed now. “True enough. Well then, let me take your coat – we may as well relax for a while.”

“All right.” she agreed and was about to slip off her outdoor things, but stopped, hearing something of interest outside. “On second thoughts, Doctor – why don’t we have a walk in the park? I’d like to stretch my legs before our journey.”

The Doctor looked out at the weather. “It’s snowing harder now. I suggest we wrap up a bit if we’re going outside. Wait a minute, please.”

He slipped out into another room of the TARDIS and re-emerged a moment later in his red lined black cloak carrying a silvery muff, which he gave to Sarah.  
“Thank you, Doctor.” She nestled her hands inside, appreciating the warmth. It was very cosy, but she couldn’t identify what it was made of.

“From the planet Astril.” he said, reading her thoughts. “Cloudwool gathered and woven to make pieces like this. You humans catch cold so easily and I don’t want you sniffling all the way through our holiday.”

“Well, I’ll be fine now, for sure. Come on – I want to see what’s happening out there.”

They went out into the snow together. The Doctor liked to think of himself primarily as a man of science, and precipitation (fresh or frozen) was simply down to atmospheric conditions. It wasn’t anything to get excited about. Still… A small part of his brain which was less rational prompted him to admit Sarah Jane had a point in wanting to wander in the snow. It was rather pretty. The flakes floated and danced past shining lampposts, creating halos of light around them.

There were other smaller lights further away, but getting closer as they walked across the grass. The shapes of costumed people holding lanterns became clearer. They were standing in formation, but others around them were gathered more casually, huddling in the cold.

“Oh, it’s a choir!” Sarah Jane said, sounding pleased. “Let’s stop and listen.”

Seeing a fair size of audience around them, the choir decided it was time to begin. They sang a few full-throated chords and then opened their little concert:

“O holy night!

The stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth…”

It was a song by humans, surely written just for humans, but something in the music touched both The Doctor’s hearts. The singers’ voices soared, filling the air and he caught his breath.

“Doctor?” Sarah Jane pressed close to him, seeing the odd look on his face.

“Very - skilled singers.” he answered, more shakily than he hoped.

“Aren’t they?” She slipped her hand into his. “Worth hearing before a long journey. I know in a day or so we’ll be enjoying the sunshine, but I’m glad to be here right now.”

“I’m happy to oblige, Sarah Jane.”

“Merry Christmas, Doctor.”

“Merry Christmas.”

There they stood together on that Christmas Eve night, the carol lilting around them. The light faded further and the song went on.

“O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!”


End file.
